Friday, September 2, 2016

Best Tip for Teachers

The best tip for teachers is...

...be human. Open your heart, and show your human side.

What? you want more tips? OK, here goes: be calm, confident, relaxed, patient, respectful, generous, positive, appreciative, kind, caring, helpful, persistent, dependable, trustworthy, safety-aware, knowledgeable, resourceful, creative, prepared, humble, bold, energetic, friendly, fun, funny, strict, forgiving, gracious, present, appreciative, flexible, thoughtful, considerate, tactful, fair, curious, interested, interesting, good-humored, punctual, clean, and well-rested.Too many tips? OK, look at it this way. If you don't show some of these traits, ask yourself why, and what effect it might have on your kids. What do your facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language say?Maybe the best advice for teachers is the one that resonates most in the moment; the one that you personally need to hear right now.

Here's a tip: (drumroll...) be yourself. Nope, it's not a cliché; it's a challenge. We both know how hard it is, at the same time we're doing all the other stuff a teacher does. So, your mission, if you decide to accept it is: to be comfortable in your own personality, share your quirks and preferences, things you've done, seen and loved. Weave yourself seamlessly into your lessons; show how you can weave your self into life.After all, you're like an ambassador, welcoming kids to the human race. You're a teacher, and your longest-term teaching point is to teach kids how to be human.